In case you’re not aware, the Sutter clan once flooded the NHL much like the Staals and (to a lesser extent) the Millers do today. Brent and Darryl are still among the head coaching ranks so it’s interesting to hear what another one of the NHL-level Sutter brothers has to say about Darryl Sutter’s deep run into the playoffs.

“Am I surprised? Nope,” Brian Sutter said. “I find it really interesting that everybody talks about how hockey’s changed, the new NHL, all that. . . well, people haven’t changed. People still need to be motivated. To motivate them, you’ve got to communicate with them.

“That will never change.”

“The people who can get their message across will always be able to get their teams to play hard, up to their expectations, capabilities, and then go beyond what they figured was possible. Those guys are good coaches. That’s why Dave Tippett’s done what he has, why Ken Hitchcock did what he did. And why Darryl’s doing what he’s doing.”

Surely a team well-stocked with talent and some solid X’s and O’s won’t hurt either. Hitchcock and Tippett clearly have a knack for strategy along with motivation while Sutter deserves a lot of credit for maintaining the Kings’ defense while opening up their offense as well.

Still, there’s certainly some credence to Brian’s folksy wisdom. Across all sports, there are usually a handful of coaches who can adapt to the times or simply keep connecting with players. Darryl Sutter seems to be doing that very well in Los Angeles.